Men’s Shed group to stage self-written play to mark World Mental Health Day

Play co-produced with poet Colm Keegan highlights transformative power of male friendships to combat poor mental health

A new play, written, staged and performed by the Loughlinstown, Ballybrack and Shanganagh (LBS) Men’s Shed in collaboration with poet Colm Keegan will come to the dlr LexIcon stage in Dún Laoghaire this month. Details of the performance, which will mark World Mental Health Day, were announced by LBS Men’s Shed and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (dlr) Arts Office today (04.10.23).

Entitled ‘Our Shed’, the five-scene play tells the story of a new member arriving at the LBS Men’s Shed, looking for companionship and support. The play includes passages of acting and dialogue; the recital of poems penned by the men; as well as the performance of a well-known song with customised lyrics.

Drawing on their own experiences, the eleven members of LBS Men’s Shed who are starring in the play address a range of topics including fatherhood, grief, loss, isolation and the power of positive memories as part of their performance.

“I joined the Shed seven years ago, just after my wife passed away from cancer,” says Joe Traynor, one of the members of LBS Men’s Shed. “My world had been turned upside down and I was lonely and in a bad way. I was very quiet at first, but I got to know the other men a bit better every day and it wasn’t long before we became friends. We talk about our problems over a cup of tea and around our pool table, and everyone always feels better afterwards. It’s never easy to take the first step, but I haven’t looked back.

“Writing the play with Colm has been a great experience. None of us had ever written something like this before, so it was difficult at the start, but Colm is a great teacher and we all got into the run of it. The play is about everyday life in the Shed but we’ve also each written a poem that’s very personal to us – mine is about my wife. We’re a bit nervous about being on stage, but we’re also all really looking forward to it.”   

Poet Colm Keegan added: “I initially met with the men of the LBS Men’s Shed working on a six-week project, and we really clicked. Given the abundance of creative energy when we first worked together, we decided to explore live literature as a way of reflecting on the men’s stories, experiences and ideas, and decided on writing a play together.

“What really struck me about the Shed was what a welcoming, accepting and supportive space it is. The men meet everyone where they find them and there is a lot of minding one another going on. Men are often reluctant to talk about their emotions and to ask for help, so the friendships that have developed between the men have been hugely transformative. At its heart, that’s really what the play is about; it’s an acknowledgement of a new – mental health aware – type of masculinity.”

LBS Men’s Shed describes itself as a ‘social shed’. Some of its members live alone or grapple with mental health issues, and the Shed offers them somewhere to meet and talk about personal challenges. Over the years, LBS Men’s Shed has raised significant funds for different charities and advocated for mental health supports for men. In recent weeks, for example, the group abseiled Dalkey Quarry to raise funds in support of Pieta House.

The collaboration between LBS Men’s Shed and Colm Keegan that resulted in the development of ‘Our Shed’ has been funded by the HSE and Creative Ireland, and is supported by dlr Arts Office and Southside Partnership.

Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Denis O’Callaghan said: “LBS Men’s Shed are a fantastic group of men, whose many projects and activities really contribute to the local communities in Loughlinstown, Ballybrack and Shanganagh. Motivated by their own experiences, they have also been incredible at raising awareness of mental health supports for men.”

Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran added: “The Council is delighted to provide ongoing support to LBS Men’s Shed and we are looking forward to hosting the group on stage of the dlr LexIcon. We are grateful to the HSE and Creative Ireland for funding this project and encourage everyone to come to the performance of the play next week.”

The performance of ‘Our Shed’ will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday, 12th October 2023 at dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire. Tickets are free but places are limited so advance registration is required via Eventbrite (Our Shed).

ENDS

Contact: Sebastian Enke, enkom PR, Tel: 087-3239496 / Email: media@enkom.ie